| Title | The Impact of Varying Wellbore Area on Flow Simulation |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mark J. MCGUINNESS |
| Year | 2013 |
| Conference | Stanford Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | geothermal wellbore simulation, varying area, conservation equations, averaging |
| Abstract | Geothermal wellbore simulation involves solving coupled equations that express the conservation of mass, momentum and energy, for single or two-phase flow within the well. The usual derivation of the momentum flux term in the momentum equation assumes constant cross-sectional area, and is incorrect across changes in casing size. The correct cross-section averaging is reviewed, and it is shown that the momentum flux divergence is approximately a factor of two in error, if the constant area form is used. The effect of this error on simulated down-hole values and on simulated output curves is briefly examined. |